Urban farms offer way for city dwellers to dig gardening

Service-learning and farming. These two activities do not usually cross over, but I had the opportunity to participate in service-learning with Joshua Farm in east Allison Hill.

Ray Burnett 13 (l), and Kwane Cuff 13, both from Harrisburg, pick tomatoes, and more than 30 other types of vegetables as they farm at the Joshua Farm on the 1800 block of Holly Street in Harrisburg. The two have been growing crops for 3 months as part of an urban farm that grows pesticide free vegetables.

Yes, that’s right — a farm in Harrisburg. I had the same reaction, because I had never been privy to the concepts of urban farms and sustainable agriculture. That all changed with my cultural anthropology class.

I participated in service-learning for my class and was fortunate to be connected with Joshua Farm. It gave me a look into the class stratification of cities, the ability to perform manual service and labor, chances to form relationships with others from backgrounds different than my own and the chance to see real-life change in action.

Joshua Farm is making a difference in lives, and I am here to get the word out. Agriculture is generally viewed in the context of large farms in rural settings, but the concept of urban farms has been progressing greatly in the last decade. They are similar to a normal farm, but operate in a more confined space and generally on a tighter budget.

Joshua Farm is no different. It has developed a plot of land, which was formally an athletic field in the Harrisburg School District, into permanent fields that it utilizes on a rotating basis.

As do other farms, the folks at Joshua Farm follow the same ritual of crop rotation to keep the land fertile. Agriculture is a lot of intensive farming and can be tough on one person, but Joshua Farm is fueled by many volunteers who visit weekly.

Usually, various groups are assigned days of the week. The farm utilizes many types of reciprocity and is welcoming to many people looking to obtain crops from it. It has a small group of members who come and pick up daily “rations” of harvested vegetables and fruits, and it also provides the neighborhood with a farm stand, in which it sells its items individually.

The development of more urban farms displays a new type of culture sprouting in the inner city. These urban farms are providing the people of Harrisburg with a means of subsistence other than that of the supermarket.

This concept of urban farming has become learned and shared among the community as evidenced by the numerous volunteers chipping in and the recent success of the farm as a whole.

They have become integrated into the daily lives of many city residents, whether they are helping out or partaking in the enjoyment of their products. The residents living nearby were able to adapt to the changing times, watching the culture of their neighborhood and city change around them.

As times have progressed, “going green” has become a popular course of action, but with cities becoming more densely populated, that task can seem daunting.

Chad Clemens

While this culture change is going on around them, cities have been able to develop and have responded with urban farms, which fit their needs perfectly. They help the city go greener. They clean up otherwise unused areas of the city. They use relatively little space. It is for all these reasons that these farms are so important to the city and its economy.

Clearly, urban farms have become integral parts of the cities that house them, but they cannot function without help.

From now on when thinking about service-learning or a place to volunteer, look to broaden your horizons and step out of your comfort zone. Maybe you could help out at one of these farms.

As an engineering major, I didn’t know much about sustainable agriculture, but it proved to be a good fit. These farms provide city residents with a place to obtain food that is fresh and healthful, making it more visible for people to see where their food is coming from. They deserve to have any and all the support that they need.